Resources

Tag Archives: update

Apple’s latest update to macOS is here! From now on when you buy a snazzy new Mac, it will come pre-installed with High Sierra, packed full of great new features and updates.

High Sierra is feature-rich and provides loads of great enhancements. From added GPU capabilities like machine learning, virtual reality, and external GPU support, to a more expressive Siri, the new macOS is the best yet.

New features

Apple File System (APFS)

One of High Sierra’s great new features is that it comes with Apple’s new, modern file system, APFS (Apple File System). Optimised for all‑flash internal storage and with an advanced architecture, it brings a new level of security and responsiveness to managing your data.

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)

Up to 40% better compression than before, the new industry-standard for 4K video is now available on your Mac. Your videos will stream better and take up less space on your Mac, but you maintain the same great visual quality.

Metal 2 graphics

Metal 2 is a technology built into macOS that lets you access the full power of your Mac’s GPU. For High Sierra, Metal 2 not only takes the visual experience to the next level, but also adds capabilities like machine learning, virtual reality, and external GPU support for entertainment and professional creative apps.

Photos

High Sierra makes your growing library more organised and accessible, with intuitive editing tools to help you perfect your images. Filter your photo collections by your favourite criteria, find what you’re looking for quickly and easily with the always-on sidebar, and fine tune your photos with powerful tools like Curves for contrast and colour adjustments, and Selective Colour to make colours more saturated.

Intelligent tracking prevention

Safari now uses machine learning to identify advertisers and others who track your online behavior, and removes tracking data they leave behind – so you can browse in peace without seeing that same ad pop up again and again.

Siri

Siri gets a more expressive makeover with a more natural voice, and more changes in expression, intonation, and emphasis based on what it’s saying. It can also learn your music preferences to make suggestions, or play you something to suit your mood.

Upgrading to High Sierra

High Sierra’s powerful new features may make you want to dive right in, but let’s back up a moment. Before you rush into upgrading your business to the new macOS, there are a few things to consider.

You may already be aware of some of the challenges your business might face in upgrading to a new OS – needing to control who upgrades when, and ensuring as little downtime as possible. With High Sierra, you’ll also need to consider the impact of the APFS on a mixed Mac estate. While you’d still be able to share files between new and old Macs switching to SMB, AFP won’t be able to share files with the new APFS. This could cause issues if you have different team members using different OS.

You’ll also need to consider imaging, as you may find yourself needing to move DEP workflows or purchase mobile device management (MDM) software to push out images across multiple machines. Finally, before you upgrade your entire estate to High Sierra, you’ll need to ensure that your current infrastructure is supported. If you try to use a monolithic system image, required firmware updates will be missing from the installation. This causes the Mac to operate in an unsupported and unstable state.

We can also support you in your transition to Apple’s new macOS. If you’d like an audit on your existing estate, we can help you work out how best to transition seamlessly with minimal downtime. Plus, we’ll train your IT staff at the same time on how best to utilise all the new features!

Get in touch with the team on 03332 409 306 or by emailing solutions@Jigsaw24.com to speak to one of our consultants. You can stay up to date with all the latest from Apple by following us on Twitter @WeAreJigsaw24 or by liking us on Facebook.

Adobe have dropped a fresh round of updates for Stock, their stock image service, making it easier than ever to find perfect imagery. On top of expanding Stock’s already colossal library, Adobe have introduced powerful new aesthetic search filters, and deepened app integration with a free Microsoft PowerPoint plug-in, allowing users to find high quality images without ever having to leave the programme.

Having launched Stock back in 2015, Adobe spent the last two years figuring out exactly what creatives want from a stock image service. They’ve realised that design teams are increasingly on the lookout for images that aren’t just authentic, but can be used to tell great stories, too. So they’ve incorporated this idea into the latest batch of feature updates. Take a look…

Adobe Stock has grown. A lot.

That’s right, folks. As if 45 million high quality images weren’t enough, over the last two years the good people at Adobe have doubled Stock’s asset library to a massive 90 million.

All-new Aesthetic Filters

Creatives rejoice! Adobe have recognised your daily struggle to find that perfect image, and reckon their fancy new Aesthetic Filters feature will help you cut search time, so you can crack on with creating. If you recall, Adobe introduced a feature called Visual Search late last year, which utilised artificial intelligence and analysis to allow users to search via images rather than keywords. Now they’ve taken it one step further with Aesthetic Filters powered by Adobe Sensai, a unified AI and machine learning framework. It lets users narrow down results by photographic properties, such as Depth of Field and Vivid Colour. Using an intensity bar, you can quickly and easily filter your search against these two parameters to find the exact image you’re after.

PowerPoint plug-in

Having received an avalanche of requests from users to develop a Stock add-on for Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe have done just that – allowing users to illustrate their presentations with stock imagery without having to leave the application. Once you’ve installed the plug-in (which is absolutely free), all you need to do is click on the Adobe Stock icon in the toolbar and start searching. Users can search for images by keyword, explore curated collections, or even perform a Visual Search by dragging and dropping an image into the search bar and having Stock dig out something similar. The PowerPoint add-on also allows users to preview images from Adobe Stock, test different layouts and styles, then use Preview History to license the images.

Atomos have dropped their latest software update, atomOS 5.2, and it’s one of their biggest feature updates to date.

HDR is one of the biggest steps forward in video production for a generation, with Atomos bringing AtomHDR and Log-to-Rec709 monitoring features to the award-winning Ninja Blade and Samurai Blade with atomOS 5.2. HDR means better quality pixels, pushing the boundaries of conventional capture and display capability, and bridging the gap between what we see on a screen and reality as we see it with our own eyes.

Any Log-capable camera is suitable for HDR production, and with the release of AtomOS 5.2, users of HD cameras can now unleash the true potential of their kit while benefiting from advanced waveform tools to assist in the accurate exposure of Log images for HDR content. Users also have built-in camera Log-to-Rec709 LUTs, ideal for when not shooting for HDR.

– HDR mode contains a slider to adjust the number of stops over SDR (Standard Dynamic Range, or Rec709) being displayed on the monitor. Stops beyond +3.0 (800% Rec709) above SDR are possible but a warning will be displayed due to the darkening image on screen. This is a limitation of the 400nit brightness capability of the Blade screen.

– While in AtomHDR mode, a simplified HDR waveform line has been added to easily set the correct slider position for the dynamic range of the scene.

– HDR monitoring and Log-to-Rec709 monitoring is supported for the Log output from the following cameras: Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Arri, JVC and RED.

AtomOS 5.2 is free to all existing Ninja Blade and Samurai Blade users and can be downloaded from www.atomos.com/support by clicking on the respective Ninja Blade or Samurai Blade product link.